In many industrial and commercial work environments, it is desirable to position horizontally-disposed shelving surfaces, work surfaces, and standing surfaces at some height above the floor or other external support surface. Modular shelving units, work surfaces, and standing platforms are well-known and are utilized in numerous ways in both commercial and industrial settings.
Often, shelving surfaces, work surfaces, and standing platforms are formed from strong, lightweight panels that are cast, molded, or otherwise formed from strong, lightweight plastic materials. Such panels may be formed having a continuous surface or may be formed as a grid work, which enables the panels to remain relatively light in weight and high in strength while providing for drainage of liquids through the top surface of the panels.
It is known to provide shelving surfaces, work surfaces, and standing platforms that are modular in construction, wherein individual panels are connected together by fasteners to achieve a desired configuration. Thus, the panels may be reconfigured and redeployed to adapt to changing needs in the commercial or industrial environment in which they are being used. However, the fasteners utilized to interconnect the panels are susceptible to loss when they are not being used. Thus, need remains for a means of preventing loss of fasteners for modular panel assemblies when the fasteners are not in use.